On May 10, 1946, veterans from the Wagner area came together to charter what was to become known as Rollie Bucholz VFW Post 7319. When the ink dried, there were 57 veterans, mostly from WWII, who had joined the organization as charter members. That was 75 years ago.

Read through the list of names and see how many you recognize. Some are familiar and still have family in our area and some are long forgotten. Nevertheless, these men are all American heroes. They defended our country during our greatest conflict and are owed a debt of gratitude from all of us that followed in their footsteps. There are no surviving members from the original charter.

Harold Coin, John Abdouch, Harold Buus, Wayne Dunsmore, Donald L. McGuire, DeWayne O’Connell, Edward L. Seiner, Ernest M. Trantina, Glenn H. Jespersen, Daniel E. Koupal, Raymond Koupal, Frank J. Cuka, LaVern B. Mazourek, John P. Soukup, Leland Stedronsky, Joseph Bren, Carl Cuka, Leonard L. J. Cuka, William H. Cuka, Oscar Abdouch, Pete Buus, Ward W. Hoffman, La-Verne R. Barta, Louis Blazek, Louis Cihak, George W. Corey, Jerry Ehrisman, Melvin Ehrisman, Harry Gilland, Charles Honomichl, Jerry Honomichl, Louis Honomichl, Gene Matthews, Donald Metteer, Earl Metteer, Clarence C. Nedved, Edward M. Ptak, Orville T. Ptak, Dwaine Schuldt, John L. Slaba, Clifford Stern, Adolph Thaler, Louis Thaler, Romaine Verba, Adolph Pesicka, Mathias M. Obermier, Frank Honomichl, Wilbur E. James, Charles H. Morgan, Oliver Holtzman, Arthur D. Honomichl, Allen R. Gibbs, Wesley F. Carda, Roy A. Cotton, Clayton C. Fillaus, William H. McGuire, Noel E. Troxell.

The wording on the original charter states: By the authority of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States: Be it known that comrades (see above list) having served honorably in the Army, Navy or Marine Corps of the United States of America, are hereby authorized to organize and are constituted a Post in the city of Wagner in the state of South Dakota to be known as Rollie Bucholz Post No. 7319, Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States. In Witness Whereof, we have hereto set our hands and the official seal of the association this 10th day of May, 1946. Signed by the Commander in Chief, Joseph M. Stack.

For the first few years members held monthly meetings at the stone bath house at Wagner Lake.

In the mid fifties, the post purchased a chicken hatchery on second street which was to become the post home and bar until 2018. It was sold to Ruth Bouza who remodeled the building to create the Community Closet, a non-profit charitable organization which sells donated items and puts the profits back into the community. The post continues to use the back room for monthly meetings.

State Department Commander, Cody Mangold, attended the May Post meeting to present Post 7319 members with a Diamond Jubilee Award from the National Commander. It reads: “In special commemoration and grateful recognition of its seventy-five years of exceptional service to the nation and its veterans throughout its seven and one half decades of dedicated support for the programs and purposes of the Veterans of Foreign Wars.”